1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a die seal ring structure, and in particular, to a die seal ring structure having a crack stop function without attachment of a metal layer thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
A die seal ring is generally formed between scribe lines and a periphery region of integrated circuits of each die of a wafer, composed by alternatively laminating dielectric layers and metal layers, which interconnect by vias through the dielectric layers. When a wafer dicing process is performed along the scribe lines, the die seal ring can block unintended stress cracks from the scribe lines to the integrated circuits produced by the wafer dicing process. Also, the die seal ring can block moisture penetration or chemical damage like acid, alkaline containing or diffusion of contaminating species. In the current semiconductor technology, a double die seal ring structure has been developed to solve the more significant problem of cracks. However, the top-most layer has a poor crack stop function due to further scaling of the semiconductor device and demand for smaller dimensions and increased functions of consumer products.
Thus, a novel die seal ring structure with a good crack stop function is desirable.